No photo
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- May 13, 1909
- Place of Birth
- Hebron, Nebraska, USA
- Died
- January 24, 1992
Ken Darby
Kenneth Lorin Darby (May 13, 1909 – January 24, 1992) was an American composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor. His film scores were recognized by the awarding of three Academy Awards and one Grammy Award. He provided vocals for the Munchkinland mayor in The Wizard of Oz (1939), who was portrayed in the film by Charlie Becker. Darby is also notable as the author of The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe (1983), a biography of the home of Rex Stout's fictional detective. Ken Darby's choral group, The Ken Darby Singers, sang backup for Bing Crosby on the original 1942 Decca Records studio recording of "White Christmas." In 1940 they also sang on the first album ever made of the songs from The Wizard of Oz, a film on which Darby had worked. However, the album was a studio cast recording, not a true soundtrack album (although it did feature Judy Garland), and it did not use the film's …
Filmography
movieThe Night Before Christmas
1968 · Original Music Composer
movieHow the West Was Won
1962 · Vocals, Lyricist
movieFlower Drum Song
1961 · Assistant Music Supervisor
movieElmer Gantry
1960 · Music Supervisor
moviePorgy and Bess
1959 · Original Music Composer
movieSouth Pacific
1958 · Other
movieWill Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
1957 · Vocal Coach
movieBus Stop
1956 · Songs, Vocal Coach
movieCarousel
1956 · Other
movieThe Lieutenant Wore Skirts
1956 · Songs
movieDaddy Long Legs
1955 · Vocal Coach
movieRiver of No Return
1954 · Songs
movieWalt Disney's Halloween Hilarities
1953 · Jack-o'lantern (voice)
movieGentlemen Prefer Blondes
1953 · Songs
movieThe Girl Next Door
1953 · Vocal Coach
movieCall Me Madam
1953 · Vocal Coach
movieStars and Stripes Forever
1952 · Vocal Coach
movieTrick or Treat
1952 · Jack-O'lantern (uncredited)
movieRancho Notorious
1952 · Songs, Lyricist
movieThe Brave Engineer
1950 · Himself, Original Music Composer
movieFun and Fancy Free
1947 · The Bull (voice) (uncredited), Singer (voice)
movieDonald's Dilemma
1947 · Donald Duck's Singing (voice) (uncredited)
movieSong of the South
1946 · Music Director, Songs
movieMargie
1946 · Off-Screen Singer (voice) (uncredited)
movieThe Martins and the Coys
1946 · The King's Men
movieMake Mine Music
1946 · The King's Men / Choral Director (Ken Darby Chorus) (singing voice) (uncredited)
movieThe Kansan
1943 · Member - The King's Men
movieWe've Never Been Licked
1943 · Vocals
movieFor Me and My Gal
1942 · The King's Men Member (uncredited)
movieTwo-Faced Woman
1941 · Member - The King's Men (uncredited)
movieStagecoach War
1940 · Outlaw
movieThe Showdown
1940 · Rider
movieLaw of the Pampas
1939 · The King's Men Member
movieThe Wizard of Oz
1939 · Music Arranger
movieRenegade Trail
1939 · Rider
movieBroadway Serenade
1939 · Singers - 'High Flyin' Number (uncredited)
movieHonolulu
1939 · Groucho 1 (uncredited)
movieGoing Hollywood
1933 · Member - The King's Men
movieThe Organ Grinder
1933 · Singing Organ Grinder (voice) (uncredited)
movieThe Queen was in the Parlor
1932 · King (voice) (uncredited)
movieRed-Headed Baby
1931 · Spider
movieHittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land
1931 · Uncle Tom (uncredited)
movieBig Man from the North
1931 · Villain Pig (voice) (uncredited)
movieBox Car Blues
1930 · Pig Hobo (voice) (uncredited)
movieLet's Go Native
1930 · Quartet Singer (as The King's Men) (uncredited)